Big Beach Picnic celebrates the coast
It’s less than seven days to go to the biggest mass participation event the National Trust in the South West has ever organised.
The Big Beach Picnic, taking place from 12 noon this Saturday (4 July), is happening at fifteen different locations across the South West. From Polzeath and Towan beach in Cornwall to Woolacombe and Branscombe beach in Devon to Studland and Weymouth beach in Dorset to Bossington and Brean Down beach in Somerset.
A highlight of the 2015 South West Coastal Festival programme, the Big Beach Picnics are a free ‘mass participation’ way of celebrating 50 years of coastal fundraising.
Bella Crawford, Coastal Engagement Officer for the National Trust said: We want as many people as possible to join in our Big Beach Picnic’s on Saturday. We’ve chosen the locations carefully so there should be something for everyone. Our teams will be on hand at each of the locations to help make the most of a great day out at one of our coastal locations.
‘One of the key moments of our Big Beach Picnic will be the opportunity to join us all to ‘toast the coast’ (#toastthecoast). We will supply the toasting cups all you need to supply is the enthusiasm for our beautiful coastline and a toasting tipple. Sneakily the toasting cups are also rather suitable for collecting spare donation coins in afterwards. All funds raised will go towards funding a specific project [2] at your Big Beach Picnic location, so just bring along a picnic, some spare change and be prepared for a lot of fun’.
‘If for some reason you can’t get to one of our coastal locations to help us #toastthecoast why not join us on social media. We will have teams on standby to share pictures across the south west of people taking a moment to ‘toasting the coast’. You can join us and share your pictures at our Facebook site or tweet us, added Bella.
2015 is the 50th anniversary of the Neptune Coastline campaign, set up in 1965 to protect the coast from the threat of development and look after it for ever for the nation.
Over the last 50 years, public and partnership support have raised over £65 million for the campaign, enabling the National Trust to safeguard 775 miles of coastline across the England, Wales and Northern Ireland (300 miles of which are in the South West).
Events have been taking place at National Trust places across the South West all this year as part of our Coastal Festival, from mass beach cleans attended by over 400 volunteers earlier in March, to a series of coastal Bio-Blitz events and the Big Beach Picnics.
Jo Atkins, National Trust Coast Fundraising Manager said: ‘Our coast has the power to enhance lives. It costs £3,000 a year to look after a mile of coast for millions of people to access, enjoy and cherish. The National Trust is a conservation charity that cares for over 300 miles of coast across the South West. By giving a donation, however small to the National Trust you’ll helping make sure our coast enriches the lives of current and future generations.
‘Coming along to one of our Big Beach Picnics is not only an opportunity for a great day out on the beach - a day for family fun - but also a day to ‘toast the coast’ and help the National Trust raise essential funds to support local projects on the South West Coast‘. If you can’t attend one of the Big Beach Picnics and would like to make donation to help look after the coast you love you can either donate online at justgiving.com/swcoast, call 0344 800 1895 or [3] Text NTCOAST to 70123 to donate £3.
For more details on where the Big Beach Picnics are taking place, how to get there and what else will be happening go to our website at www.nationaltrust.org.uk/swcoast and also check out our stunning film of the South West coast for inspiration of where you can go here http://bit.ly/coastfilm
